No. 22 Gonzaga Uses Strong Second Half In Defeat Of Women's Basketball

Monday, December 16

Spokane, WA

6:00 pm

University of California, Riverside

4-5

Gonzaga (#22)

9-2

Team	1	2	F
UC Riverside	30	13	43
GONZAGA BULLDOGS	36	51	87

Photo by: Carlos Puma

No. 22 Gonzaga Uses Strong Second Half In Defeat Of Women's Basketball

12/16/2013 7:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Spokane, Washington - The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team hung tough in the first half and gave No. 22 Gonzaga a scare early, but the Zags (9-3) used a strong second half to claim the 87-43 victory on Monday evening (Box Score).

The Highlanders (4-5) had a six-point lead midway through the first half, and entered the break down just two possessions, 36-30, but the Bulldogs outscored UCR 49-13 in the second period to put the game out of reach.

The 44-point loss ties the program's Division I record for biggest loss with DePaul, which handed the Highlanders a 44-point defeat on November 27, 2010.

UCR's 13 points scored in the second half is tied for the second-fewest points scored in a half in the school's D-I history. The Highlanders scored 12 points in the first half against UC Santa Barbara on February 16, 2012.

Despite hitting two of their first nine shots to open the game, the Highlanders then made 5-of-10 over a 3:32 span to take a 15-12 lead capped off by a Brittany Crain jumper at the 10:10 mark. UCR increased its lead to six points, 20-14, two and a half minutes later following a Natasha Hadley jumper and a Crain three-pointer.

But the Zags rallied back for eight straight points, taking a 22-20 advantage with just under six to go in the half. Another long ball from Crain put UC Riverside back on top, but the lead was shortlived as Gonzaga was in the midst of a 19-5 run going up 33-25 at the 2:15 juncture.

A three-pointer from Tahvia Morrison and a layup from Hadley sparked a 5-0 Highlanders run as they cut the margin to three, 33-30, with just over a minute left in the half. The Bulldogs hit a three-pointer to make it a two-possession game, as the Zags entered the break up 36-30.

Gonzaga quickly built a double-digit lead three minutes into the second period and never looked back, hitting nearly 60 percent from the floor in that half.

For the game, the Bulldogs hit 50 percent from the floor while limiting UC Riverside to 34 percent.

Crain led the Highlanders with 11 points with Jamila Williams added 10. With her 11 points, Crain ties the school's Division I record for consecutive games with double-figure scoring at 19.

Sunny Creinacher had 21 points to lead the Zags while Lindsay Sherbert chipped in with 19.

The Highlanders continue their three-game road swing with a neutral-site match against Washington State on Wednesday, December 18 at 4 pm PT in Kennewick, Washington.